Take Action!

Take Action: Talk with the Doctor

You and your doctor or nurse can work together to prevent infections by following these steps.

Talk with your doctor about preventing infections.

Before having surgery or getting another type of medical procedure, talk with your doctor or nurse about:

Any medical problems you have, like diabetes

What will be done before the procedure to help prevent an infection, like cleaning the skin with soap

What you can do to help protect yourself from an infection after the procedure

Start the conversation by saying, “I know how easy it is for people to get infections. I don’t want it to happen to me.”

Speak up if something doesn’t seem right.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask questions before or after your procedure. For example, if your bandages aren’t clean, dry, or attached well, point this out to the doctor or nurse. Your safety is their priority.

After your procedure, pay close attention to changes in your health. If you get home and start to feel sick or notice signs of an infection, call your doctor or nurse right away.

Take Action: Hand Washing

Always make sure your doctors and nurses wash their hands.

Politely ask your doctors and nurses if they washed their hands. This is one of the most important ways to prevent infections. Even if they wear gloves, they still need to wash their hands before putting them on – just wearing gloves is not enough to prevent infections.

If you feel uncomfortable asking the doctors or nurses if their hands are clean, remember that it’s their job to help keep you safe and healthy.

Stay up to date on your shots.

Protect yourself from seasonal flu.

Quit smoking.

Quit smoking. Patients who smoke get more infections. Talk to your doctor about how you can quit before your surgery. If you smoke, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to make your quit plan. Get more ideas for quitting smoking.

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healthfinder.gov is sponsored by the National Health Information Center 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201Page last updated:
Wednesday, December 19, 2018